Wayland Middle School  Monday Morning Minute

MARK YOUR CALENDAR! Concerts: 12/6 - Grades 7, 8 and 9-12 Band Concert (at WHS) 12/13 - Grades 7, 8 and 9-12 Chorus Concert (at WHS) 12/17 - Grades 7, 8 and 9-12 Orchestra Concert (at WHS) 12/20 - 6th Grade Band, Orchestra, & Chorus Concert (at WMS) All Grades: 12/14 - Q2 Progress Reports 12/24 to 1/1 - Holiday Recess 1/2 - Classes Resume 7th Grade: 1/24 - Cape Cod Trip Parent Information Night (7:00pm)

Message from Principal Gavron

‌ We hope that everyone enjoyed their time with family and friends, and had the opportunity to relax and reconnect over the Thanksgiving recess. While on the topic of vacations, I wanted to take a moment to address what seems to be a growing trend. There are a number of students and families requesting work ahead of time as they are looking to extend their vacations on either end of a break or take a vacation when school is in session. This is a family choice and not a practice we endorse. That said, I do understand that at times there are a number of factors which might compel families to make that decision. In these cases, teachers are not required or expected to provide work ahead of time. Please know that it is often very hard to offer work that is based on class instruction, discussion, etc. and the assignments in the absence of instruction may not make sense. Pulling together work for many students is a very time consuming process. Teachers will do their best to work with kids when they return, but as you can imagine, a help session does not replace a day's worth of missed instruction and collaborative conversation.

Current News & Announcements

MCAS DATES MCAS dates for WMS are now available. Please mark your calendars! If at all possible, we ask you to avoid scheduling appointments for your child on his or her testing dates. Many thanks!  6th Grade ELA: April 1 & 2 Math: May 6 & 7 7th Grade ELA: April 8 & 9 Math: May 9 & 10 8th Grade ELA: April 25 & 26 Math: April 29 & 30 STE: May 2 & 3

Looking For a Way to Acknowledge a Special Teacher or Staff Member? HATS Off is the Answer! Deadline - Friday, Dec. 14th Making a donation to the Wayland Public Schools Foundation is a perfect way to say “Thank You!” to a special teacher or staff member this holiday season! For over 30 years, the Wayland Public Schools Foundation (WPSF) has supported teachers by funding classroom innovations and creative units of study that are not covered by the school budget. Every donation to the HATS Off campaign helps to ensure the continued availability of these valuable resources for our teachers and staff. It is a great way to show your appreciation this time of year! When you make a donation to HATS Off, each teacher or staff member you designate will receive a personalized HATS Off certificate that will include your very own message of thanks. The donation amount, however, will not be disclosed. Visit the WPSF website  here  to donate and personalize your HATS Off certificate today! The deadline is Friday, December 14th. Donations are tax deductible and may qualify for matching gifts at participating companies.

Stop n Shop Rewards The current total for the Stop & Shop rewards program is $904.43. This tops contributions at this time last year by about $300!! Thank you for signing up to participate. If you haven't registered your card, you can do in just two minutes by clicking  here . Thank you!

PTO News

Contact: [email protected]

It's Time for our Annual Holiday Gift Drive PLEASE GIVE: Have you had a chance to pick out a holiday gift for a teen or tween who won't be with family for the holidays? It's easy—your gift will ship directly from this Amazon.com wishlist  to Wayside's residence, where youths who have experienced abuse, neglect, and trauma are receiving housing, education, and invaluable support. Help make the holidays just a little bit brighter, one gift at a time. Thank you! To Donate: http://waylandpto.org/middle-school-pto/gift-drive-2018 *All gifts are tax deductible.*

Middle & More Coffee: Parent Seminars

6th Grade Parent Check-In with Cluster Leaders   Nov. 29, 8:45 - 9:45 am WMS Cafeteria We will be joined by the Cluster Leaders and Ms. Gavron. Topics can include curriculum overview for the 6th grade year, school-sponsored trips, social adjustment and academic expectations. We will have time for parent Q & A. ‌

Save the Date! 7th & 8th Grade Parent Check-In with Cluster Leaders                                  Dec. 11, 8:45 - 9:45 am Location TBD

Artist of the Week

 Artist: Julie Mente & Belle Thoen Grade: 8 Medium: Colored Pencil

Information from Last Week's eBlast...

I mportant Health Reminder  If your student feels ill while they are at school, they  must  go see the nurse in the Health Room. Students should not text a family member, parent or guardian to come to school to pick them up prior to the student seeing the nurse. Thank you for your cooperation! ‌

WMS Calendar Drive Nov. 13 - Dec. 7 The Calendar Drive is ON! The Gift Calendar Drive is our annual effort to raise scholarship funds for our school field trips. With the money raised we are able to ensure that all students are able to attend all school trips. When someone buys a gift calendar, they are entered into 31 gift card drawings, one each day during the month of January. The suggested donation in exchange for a calendar is $10, but participants may donate any amount they wish. Prizes for Students: 10 calendars: T-shirt or water bottle 25 calendars: Sweatshirt (this is in addition to the first prize already won!) Top 3 overall fundraisers: WMS Jacket In addition, eighth graders will receive a $10 credit off their DC Trip Fee for every 10 calendar donations they receive. Thank you for all your efforts in support of this fundraiser!

WMS Boys and Girls Basketball (7th & 8th Grade) Tryouts will take place Monday, December 3rd to Friday, December 7th. In order to participate (BEFORE tryouts) students : Must be registered through FamilyID.com, and Must have a current Physical Exam record on file with the school nurse. Girls Tryouts: Mon. 12/3 (2:30-4:45), Tues. 12/4 (2:30-4:45), Weds. 12/5 (1:30-3:00) Boys Tryouts: Weds. 12/5 (3:00-4:30 * ), Thurs. 12/6 (2:30-4:45), Fri. 12/7 (2:30-4:45) ( * Athletes will have supervised study hall after school until their evaluations begin ) ‌

Private School Application Process While we hope you are enjoying your experiences with Wayland Public Schools, we also know that some families will choose to apply to private schools as an alternative educational option. Please be sure to carefully follow the process outlined HERE to ensure a timely, quality processing of your child’s application to private school.

Distributed to WMS Listserv Subscribers NOTE: Clicking on "Unsubscribe" will remove you from ALL listservs, you will no longer receive any emails from the Wayland Schools.  To CHANGE the school(s) you subscribe to, click on "Update Profile"